large American Religious Identification survey

[aeest400]

American Religious Identification Survey

Lots of interesting stuff in this survey. For example, "When it come to your outlook, do you regard yourself as..." 75% answered "religious" or "somewhat religious" and 16% said "secular" or "somewhat secular." This surprised me a bit (thought folks were more secular, just look at 2+2 survey answers).

In terms of changes from 1991 to 2001 the authors note:

[ QUOTE ]
As is readily apparent from the first Exhibit below, the major changes between the results of the 1990 survey and the current survey are:

a. the proportion of the population that can be classified as Christian has declined from eighty-six in 1990 to seventy-seven percent in 2001;

b. although the number of adults who classify themselves in non-Christian religious groups has increased from about 5.8 million to about 7.7 million, the proportion of non-Christians has increased only by a very small amount: from 3.3 % to about 3.7 %;

c. the greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from just
eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001;

d. there has also been a substantial increase in the number of adults who refused to reply to the question about their religious preference, from about four million or two percent in 1990 to more than eleven million or over five percent in 2001.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some of the age/ethnic/political breakdowns are also interesting. Note that Mormonism appears to be stagnant (thought they were growing) and Jews and Mormons are mirror images when it comes to political party affiliation.

Would be interested in other observations about the data and/or fun facts in the survey.

[godBoy]

You were surprised America is Religious?

[ QUOTE ]
thought folks were more secular, just look at 2+2 survey answers

[/ QUOTE ]
You need to study probability some more, this is hardly a good representation of the everyday American.

[aeest400]

[ QUOTE ]
You were surprised America is Religious?

[ QUOTE ]
thought folks were more secular, just look at 2+2 survey answers

[/ QUOTE ]
You need to study probability some more, this is hardly a good representation of the everyday American.

[/ QUOTE ]


Nice reply.

[Phil153]

[ QUOTE ]
c. the greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from justw
eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001;

[/ QUOTE ]
All those evil, no hoper, morality free, selfish atheists are ruining America!



Seriously though I'm surprised at the increase. Perhaps there is hope for the US yet.

[aeest400]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
c. the greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from justw
eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001;

[/ QUOTE ]
All those evil, no hoper, morality free, selfish atheists are ruining America!




Seriously though I'm surprised at the increase. Perhaps there is hope for the US yet.

[/ QUOTE ]


Very nice. Lots of confounding variables, but I'd like to see a worldwide comparision of religious faith and gun violence. Sweden and Japan vs Pakistan and Columbia. Hmm.